Window-shade



J. w. TATUM. WINDOW SHADE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, I919- Patented Oct. 12,1920.

A24 aka/map UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WILLIAM TATUM, or nURHAivI, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR To DURHAM NOVELTY COMPANY, OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, A cORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

WIND OW-SHADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application filed September 18, 1919. Serial No. 324,453.

' To all whom it may concern:

providing shade-brackets one of which is a combined curtain-pole support and shaderoller support and also forms a guidefor the cord or string which turns the shaderoller means being provided, on one of the brackets, in connection with normally inefiective stops, to limit the unwinding of the shade from the shade-roller, thereby preventing the shade from being accidentally ripped from the roller.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost, the brackets being formed of sheet metal blanks orstampings and assembled in an exceedingly convenient and easy manner.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details Of description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my complete window shade in position on a window frame.

Fig.2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the window frame to which the device is attached, the lower portion ofthe curtain being torn OE, and one of the curtain-pole supports being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a left-hand view of the device, a portion being broken away for the sake of showing other portions.

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectionalview along Fig. 5 is a detail viewrillustrating the right-hand shade bracket in connection with the headed'fastener andpawl which serve to limit the unwinding of the curtain.

'Fig. 6.is a vertical sectionalview, the section being taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

.which co-acts with the Referring to these drawings in detail in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the window frame 1 is merely illustrated to show the relation of my improved window-shade thereto,

- The device comprises a pair of shade brackets 2 and 3, a shade roller 4:, a shade or curtain 5 on the roller, a string or cord 6, a pawl 7, and headed fasteners 8, one of pawl 7 for limiting the unwinding ofthe curtain 5 from the roller 4, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The shade bracket 2 comprises an apertured flange 9 through which screws or other, appropriate fastening means may extend for securing the bracket to the window frame. The other end of this bracket is formed .with apertured flange 10, the .upper aperture 11 of which constitutes a. guide for the string or cord 6, and the lower aperture 12 provides a seat for a curtain-pole support 13, the latter being formed with a hooked end which extends through the aperture 12 and is supported by the portion of the flange 10 below this aperture or slot. Adjacent to the middle portion of the bracket 2, or between the flanges 9 and 10, I i

a horizontally extending slot or trunnion bearingl is provided, and between this slot and the flange 9 a tongue or shoulder 15 is provided, its shoulder being struck up from* the sheet metal of which the bracket is formed. V

The bracket 3 is formed of sheet metal and has an apertured flange 9 similar to and serving the same purpose as that of the bracket '2, and the front flange 10 of the bracket 3 eliminates the aperture 11, but is provided with an aperture or slot 12 for.

. supporting a curtain-polesupport 13, to 00- act with that of the bracket 2. The bracket 3 is formed with a headed ear 16 through which a flange 17 of the pawl 7. extends, a yieldable and somewhat elastic tongue 18 being struck up from the sheet metal of which the member 7 is formed. By this construction, it will be seen that the flange 17 and its tongue 18 can be forced through the aperture or slot of the ear 16, and that the tongue 18 springs outward so as to prevent disengagement of the flange 17 from the slotted ear 16, at the same time permitting the same being priate number of teethor. shou'ldersZQ which.

tary movement of the roller. that when the string 6: is pulled: through the aperture 11,

the front end of the pawl '7 to be raised. and. lowered, by winding. the curtain..5 on the.

roller. 4. The roller: 4. is. provided. with trunnions 19, one of which extends through the slot 14, the other being seated inn-notch;

20 of the curtain-bracket 3. Moreover they roller. a is. provided with atoothed wheel 21,

provided with any appro- 'However, if; the string 6 is permitted: to ascendgradualliv while the tooth'22 is out of engagement with the shoulder 15; and a downwardpull is-exerted on the curtain 5, the curtainwill be lowered. In this connection, it will be-understood' thatinthus a sufficient resistance to its ascent should be allowingg-the string 6' to gradually ascend,

employedto cause thetrunnion to remain in the forward end of the slot 14:, so that 'thetooth 22" is out of position to be en- 85 gaged by the shoulder 15, 2 Moreover, if the weight of the; unwound portion ofthe curtain- 5' is suflicient, it is not necessary to exert downward; pull, on thecurt'a n, but.

as the cord 6 ascends gradually the weight of the curtain causes thie roller to rotate while thelimited resistance of the string retains: the tooth 22 0111; ofenga'ging relar tionwith the shoulder 15. lt' 'will' beseen,

therefore, that the string 6 constitutes means for e-ffectingthelowering of: the curtainas well as therais-ing thereof.

For the purpose of provlding anchorageand a guide; or limiting element of the tring 6,- andz also providing a guide or limitingelementdor the-curtain' 5, a sheet meta-l ring-or disk 23 is snugly and securely fitted-around the' roller l so; as to form in effect radial" flangeonthe" roller, this flange} oitfdislrfl?) is apertured ats24 to perniit= the string 6 to pass twice through this 1 from right to apertureand tlieEst-ring 6 is attached by ,forming; a 'k n'ot" Zia-thereon, passing the string from the{ left side through to the rightf. side of the fiange 23, then winding thestring-once around the roller 4: and threading 'it back through the flange 23 left, The string fi is then threaclecFthroug-hj the aperture 11- and is ready for operation, assunn'ng thaathe cur- 6 5" from; the roller.

roller, 7 gaged with one another for-locking. the shade 11 5 roller, sa1d1trunnion;beingrmovable in-said;

a, soithat the unwindin'gofthe curtain effects the winding of the cord or string 6 and. vicer ers Referring now tothe fasteners 8], it should be understood that these are supplemental fasteners, and that the curtaii15'issecured to the roller by a means ordinarily employed, such as small tacks, etc, as indicate'd at 26 in Fig. 2. lhe headed fasteners 8, therefore, have a more important function than that of fastening or helping to fasten the curtain on; the roller, viz-,pro-

.viding. an, abutment with; which; the; pawl 7 meets to limit the 'unwindingoi' the shade .Asdndicated in Figs; 1v and; 4, the head. of; the right-hand member; Sis somewhat spaced fromtheportion of the curtain through whichit extends-into, the roller, andtherefore, the {pawl '7 engages against, the shank of; this. member 81 and; is retained :in such;enga gemellt b,y{{the hefldof this member. Thepatvlfif rests, upon the curtainwhen the; members 8}. are-covered by thewindings ofi the; curtain, but .when the members 8' are uncovered as the inner: winding otthe. curtain;begins to 'unwind, the. pawl-17; is now in'the pathmfz the right-hand membenfi and; engages therewith to -.stop-;the roller before: the curtain "is entirely unwound from; the roller, thereby; preventing the curtain from; being; torn; away from. the

shoulder and'gaguiding.flange,the latter eX- tending substantially; parallelito said trun--, nion' and provided withanopening-through which said string extends from said shadiesaid shoulders being normally enhearing by saidstring for, disengaging-said shoulders from: one another and unlocking the? roller, substantially as and for the purpose specifiedi r 2. A shade bracketjformedfof asheetmet-al; blank and. comprising aperturedlflanges at its opposite ends, a trunnion-bearing between the. flanged ends, and a struck up shouldervb'etween oneof the flangedzends'sflnd 12 5 the-trunnion-bearing and: adapted: to con--;- trol movement ofia shade-roller. whose trunnion is 'disposed iinsaid trunnion-bearing, one of" the apertured i flangesbeing adapted to engage with means. to secure the.bracket 130 to its support, the other apertured flange being adapted to guide a string which actuates the shade roller. 7

3. A shade bracket formed of a sheet metal blank,- and comprising apertured flanges at its opposite ends, a trunnion-bearing between the flanged ends, and a struck up shoulder between one of the flanged ends.

and the trunnion-bearing and adapted to control movement of a shade-roller whose trunnion is disposed in said trunnion-bearing, one of the apertured flanges being adapted to engage with means to secure the bracket to its support, the other apertured flange being adapted to guide a string which actuates the shade roller and to receive a curtain-pole holder through one of its apertures.

4:. In combination with a window shade, a pair of shade-brackets, a roller rotatably supported by the shade-brackets, eluding a headed fastener for securing the means in shade on the roller, said fastener being normally covered by the shade, and a pawl carried by one of the shade-brackets and normally held out of cooperative relation with the headed fastener but being brought into cooperative engagement with the said fastener by the unwinding of the shade and the consequent uncovering of the headed fastenor.

5. In a combined shade-supporting and roller-stopping device, a shade-bracket formed with a slotted ear, and a pawl formed of a blank of sheet metal and having a flange extending through the slot of said ear and atongue struck up in the pawl flange, said tongue being yieldable to permit it to pass through the slot in said ear and effective to retain the tongue in movable engagement with the ear, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set m hand.

y JAMES WILLIAM TATUM. 

